This has nothing to do with this story as we are complaining here in Florida that the night time temps are going to get down in the 40’s this coming week. I do have to tell you of a dream I had a couple of weeks ago. I have had weird dreams my entire life. When I was a teenager I though of taking a note book to bed and eventually write a book but putting a dream to paper turned out to be a bunch of unrelated one liners. I never had dreams about work when I was working but after I retired work was my number one repeat dream for several years. For the last few years, school has been my number one repeat dream. I’ve been a senior in high school, I’ve attended several colleges including Notre Dame and the Naval Academy. In this dream I had just graduated from high school. People were trying to get me to go to college and they all had different schools they wanted me to go to. I said I’m not sure what I want to do. I might want to be a farmer but not a farmer like my dad there are too many new things. I think what I should do is go out and work for Terry Farver for a year and learn from him before I decide what to do.

This is to say how much I and know many others enjoy your writings they even fit in to dreams. Duane

ON Ag day I went to a presentation on GLUTEN that was done by Kim Farver Warner, here in Colorado. That is a subject that we farmers need to talk about and tell the truth about. Gluten is really important in all the food that we eat, and in the bread making process. We need to feel sympathy for the people that can’t eat Gluten as they would love to again have a fresh, warm piece of bread!!! See you at home. Marlys Farver

I was raised on a farm, and worked with farmers in my job before I retired. I always loved hearing their stories and I always seemed to learn something new. I visited the state of Pennsylvania a few years ago, went to the Amish colonies and was amazed at their methods of farming and regular household chores! We are always trying new ways, mostly healthy, in cooking our meats and vegetables. I found it interesting how Emily’s farm is approx. 40 acres, compared to the size of our farms in my area. They do have an awesome operation! I wish we had more Farmer’s Markets in our area. It’s nice to know where our food come from!

Shuana, I buy organic fruits and vegetables whenever I can because of the pesticides, not because I am worried about GMO’s. I don’t want to feed my children pesticides if at all possible. Do you hold the belief that pesticides are completely harmless for us to consume?

Thanks for the question, Lori! I don’t have any concerns about pesticides. We use them on the crops we grow, & when I had a garden, I used them there. Of course I wash fruits & veggies before I use them. Beyond that, I’m confident in the fact that pesticides are safe when used as intended. I’m far more concerned about the preservatives & additives in processed food than I am pesticides.

Shauna…I said it before and I’ll say it again. You have a talent for writing a story. I was sure I was reading about the loss of a calf until I got to the picture of him in the warmer! I had to go back and re-read it! You need to do some freelance work.

Congrats, Terry & Shaun, for being chosen to be part of the NWF group. It really doesn’t surprise me at all, since you’ve been such an advocate of farming in these blogs. Now your words can have even more impact. Best wishes!!

Like anything Bill, it’s partly a matter of personal preference, partly perception. Admittedly apples in the grocery store taste different than picked fresh from a tree…. better or worse is in the eye (or mouth) of the beholder. 🙂 I suspect if you picked two fresh apples from two trees standing next to each other, one organic, the other not, you wouldn’t taste a difference. Differences in preparation & packaging for shipping…& the shipping process itself, play a part in the difference in taste.

Wonderful idea! I am looking forward to this series of stories. As a society we have become disconnected with the real faces of agriculture, it is so important to show the world who we are and that we have nothing to hide!

The big picture is just the overall look of the scene. You are right that you still have to define and refine the subject and your perspective of it to make sure it suits you and your thoughts. It all becomes a kaleidoscope then settles down to your perspective. Hope this makes sense but your thoughts are right on!

My most remembered dirt road was covered in snow when I was a boy. My family of 7 (Mom & Dad and 4 siblings) were returning from a visit to our relatives farm on the prairies, we went for Christmas but had to return to Calgary on boxing day. We were about 1 hour into our trip and got hit by a blizzard, the road became impassable and after becoming bogged down Mom & Dad started talking about sleeping in the car and hoping we could stay warm. We were letting the car cool down then starting it up to get it warm enough to stay alive, it was the second set when out of the blowing snow came the head lights of a very big John Deere tractor. He hooked up to the car and took us to his home just over the rise. They had seen the headlights of the car from their second story and they came out to get us. They treated us to one of the nicest Christmas treats we had ever had. We were welcomed to the nicest warmest farmhouse I can remember to this day! Their family had been prevented from coming to visit because of impassable dirt roads and we became their surrogate family for that winter. These farmers will always be remembered in my heart til the day I die.Dirt roads and farmers what a team. Keep up the good work Shauna I love to read your blog as well as some of my Asian second family.

Don, that is an amazing story! It makes me feel all warm & fuzzy that complete strangers took your family in like that. I can certainly understand why they’ll always hold a place in your heart. Thank you so much for sharing it with us..and thanks for reading! Please send our greetings to your Asian family as well!

This brought tears to my eyes, and you are correct. No photo was needed to picture this place of your childhood. My first dirt road led to my grandmother’s house as well, and while it was a bit more modern, the same feelings of safety and warmth were there. Thanks for sharing, and I’ll keep your grandmother in my prayers!

Hello Farver Farms! Thanks so much for choosing our farm photo as the winner! We really appreciate it, and we loved looking at all the other great farm photos that were submitted too : ) We enjoy reading your posts, keep up the good work and Happy Harvest!

Shelby, you’re so welcome….thanks for submitting such a great photo! We have really enjoyed seeing places we’ve never been through our Readers. We’ll be getting your first monthly subscription goodies out to you soon!

I mentioned once about helping Blondie get started harvesting the summer when I was 15. It wasn’t tippy but coming from the flat land of Minn I was not use to hills. Going up hill the steering was like power steering the front wheel barely touching the ground. Going down hill the front wheels were so heavy I could hardly steer.

I felt like I was reading a post that I could have written. I frequently wow my man with inappropriate words to describe mechanical issues. And I’m not sure that I will ever completely understand how any machine really works, no matter how many times he explains it or shows it to me. But as long as you can still make it through the day and be happy with the time you spent with each other then I’d say it’s a good day 🙂

Mandy, it’s so good to know I’m not the only one a little challenged in the vocabulary department when it comes to farm machinery! Totally with you on understanding how it all works too 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

You don’t have a reverser on that combine? Makes those plugs a lot easier to deal with…. However, I’ve been there more than once. We have an old 4400 we use on smaller areas of grain to harvest, and it plugs up sometimes, no reverser. Good times with the pry bar turning the pulley. There’s also a clean out under the machine that makes it easier sometimes. Glad ya’ll got it back out to work tho

George, reversing seems like it should have been a pretty easy fix for sure! We were able to do that– inches at a time. Used the pry bar & pulley trick too– more inches at a time (and a nasty bruised rib to show for it too 😉 Those pea vines are so gnarly though, they really do a good job of clogging up a machine. Glad to hear you’re still using a 4400– those ‘oldie but goodie’ machines are great for getting into smaller fields, aren’t they? Thanks for reading! -S.

Shauna, you are a super writer!! I just love reading these, partly cuz it’s my dear son you’re praising, but you really give a true picture of farming. If I spelled something wrong, i’s cuz I have tears in my eyes.

These are great stories, Shauna, good reading. We take so much of this for granted, don’t we? did Terry really meet up with a Border patrolman? that would really shake a person, I agree. Almost as scary as meeting a ‘John Deere’ in the middle of the field.

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